Sorry it's been so, so, so, so long but I had random writer's block and I couldn't for the life of me remember where I was going with this story. It started coming slowly back to me so I should be able to upload every other week, hopefully. Enjoy the story.

Facing the Music

I was innocently sitting in Gaara's living room, okay I was looking through all the drawers in the big random cabinet in the corner, when a sand ninja appeared in next to me.

"I wasn't doing anything." I said guiltily closing the drawer and pretending I never touched it, and holding my hands out in surrender.

"The council wants to see you so I have been sent to escort you there." the sand ninja greeted me professionally ignoring what I was doing before he came in completely.

"Escort?" I wondered why I would need an escort to the building next door.

"Yes, apparently they said something about you getting lost easily."

"How did they know? Have they been spying on me this entire time." I questioned suspiciously looking around the room just in case someone was hiding in that very room. Ignoring the fact that if they were ninjas then I wouldn't be able to see them anyway, because they are hiding like good ninjas.

"Probably." the ninja admitted losing his professionalism for a minute to joke with me.

"Creepy." I said following him out the door.

"So, Akira, you and the Kazekage-sama are now an item?" a council member questioned.

"Yes?" I said timidly while I wondered why they cared.

"We fully support your relationship." another council member said with an eerily evil smile.

"We were wondering if you could find out some information for us..." the council member trailed off because the door slammed open and Gaara strode into the room.

"Come." Gaara said dragging me out.

"What was that about?" I questioned confused because I was magically dragged out right before I had the chance to yell at the council.

"They want to use your book to learn information. They think that because we are going out that they have the right." Gaara said with a growl.

"Why did you drag me out?" I questioned.

"I know how much you dislike being used like that..."Gaara said trailing off because he was embarrassed.

"Thank you." I said smiling at him.

"I have to leave on a diplomatic mission, but..." Gaara began explaining.

"But?" I questioned as we entered Gaara's office to see Temari there waiting for us.

"He doesn't want to leave you here with the council wanting to use you." Temari explained.

"But he also doesn't want to take you because of the threat made against you." Kankuro explained drawing my attention to him. I didn't realize he was in the room because he was in Gaara's chair.

"Ah."

"So do you want to come with me on my diplomatic mission, or do you want to stay here and Kankuro will attempt to keep you away from the council."

"Temari is going?" I questioned.

"Yes." Temari answered smiling at me while pointing to her fan on her back.

"You are already packed?"

"I packed for you since I thought you were going..." Temari explained leaving the fact that Gaara and I going out equals me going with him on diplomatic missions.

"So the only reason you don't want me going is because you are worried for my safety because of that dude that attacked us before?" I questioned Gaara for confirmation.

"Yes." Gaara said giving me a confused look that was cute.

"Then I need to go."

"Need?" Temari questioned picking up on my strange word choice.

"Yeah, because I am safest with Gaara. So when Gaara leaves I won't be as safe." I explained.

"True." Temari agreed grinning at me while stealing glances at the now blushing Gaara.

"Are you sure that we haven't passed that cactus before?" I questioned Temari.

"Which one?" She questioned humoring me.

"The one that is mocking me." I said pointing to one of the cacti randomly.

"None of them are mocking you, and we have not passed them before they just all look exactly the same." Temari explained.

"If they look exactly the same how do you know?"

"Well they all look slightly different."

"So I just never noticed the differences?" I pondered.

"Maybe you were too busy noticing their condescending stare?" the Suna ninja that was sent to protect Gaara suggested.

"See he agrees that the cactus was judging me." I said smugly gesturing to the ninja.

"Akira, look a lizard." Gaara said pointing to a lizard that was on the ground.

"Lizard!" I said skipping over to stare at the lizard who was trying to be invisible by being sand colored.

"Thanks Gaara." Temari said relieved that we weren't going to argue about cacti judging us all.

"I would have told her anyway." Gaara replied.

"Of course." Temari said making a I-don't-believe-you-but-I-am-going-to-pretend-I-do face.

"I shall name you Sandy and you shall be my new friend." I said to the lizard.

"We are not taking the lizard with us." the female Suna ninja ordered.

"Oh." I said sadly.

"Why not?" the male suna ninja questioned.

"We just aren't going to." the female ninja said.

"That makes sense." I said picking up Sandy.

"If it makes sense then why are you picking it up."

"Because we are not going to bring Sandy with us I am." I said with an evil smile (grin?).

"Haha, she got around that order." the male Suna ninja laughed.

"Gaara, meet Sandy." I said bringing Sandy over to Gaara who merely stared at her before he sighed and patted Sandy on the head.

"I think it's kind of cute." Temari added staring at Sandy.

"Ever since the Chunin exams I have wanted a lizard." I explained to the unhappy female Suna ninja.

"You should obey your superiors." the uniformed female Suna ninja grumbled.

"Technically I am a civilian of Konoha, how does that make you my superior?" I questioned confused.

"You're not even a ninja?" the female asked.

"What did she miss the council's mission briefing?" I questioned Temari.

"How did you know we had to go to one?" the male ninja asked.

"Psychic." I told him seriously before looking to the female to answer my question.

"Yes, I did miss it." the female admitted guiltily.

"Believe it or not but this woman here is dating my brother." Temari explained knowing I would want to keep the rest of my identity a secret.

"She's dating Kankuro?" the male questioned.

"She's mine." Gaara said glaring at the male Suna ninja and causing him to shy away from me due to the strength of Gaara's glare.

"Kazekage-sama, you are dating her?" the female Suna ninja questioned looking shocked.

"Yes, do you have a problem with that?" Gaara questioned glaring at her.

"No, no. Just surprised." she apologized quickly.

"I better stop flirting with her then." the male mused.

"You were flirting with me?" I questioned raising one eyebrow in shock.

"Yes."

"Could have fooled me."

"Well I was."

"Then you suck at it."

"Well excuse me for not being obvious in my advances."

"You are excused." I said regally waving at him.

"I didn't mean..." He said but trailed off when Temari put a hand on his shoulder.

"Just let it go." Temari suggested.

"Hey Gaara, can I keep Sandy?" I questioned returning to my original purpose and giving Gaara my best puppy-dog eyes.

"Yes." Gaara answered after a minute of looking at my sad pathetic look.

"Yay!" I said hugging Gaara after handing Temari Sandy to hold.

"She just hugged the Kazekage-sama." the male ninja said in shock.

"Well they are going out, what did you expect?" the female ninja inquired.

"I don't know, I wasn't expecting anything." the male ninja said scratching his head in confusion.

Preview from next chapter: Ambushed

"What's that over there?" I questioned as I saw something shiny.

"Duck!" Temari yelled when she looked over at the shiny. I didn't have to duck due to the fact that Gaara had appeared next to me and was holding me in his sand shield. Everyone else had to duck, suckers.

"How did the non-ninja notice that?" the female ninja questioned as everyone stood in defensive positions. My defensive position was being pressed against Gaara's chest.

"It was shiny." I answered as if that explained it all.